| Weir's otter Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Lontra |
| Species: | †L. weiri |
| Binomial name | |
| †Lontra weiri Prassack (2016) | |
Lontra weiri (Weir's otter) is a fossil species in the carnivoran family Mustelidae from the Hagerman Fossil Beds of Idaho. It shared its habitat with Satherium piscinarium , a probable ancestor of the giant otter of South America. [1] It is named in honor of musician Bob Weir, and is the oldest known member of its genus. [2] Prior to its discovery, Lontra was thought to have evolved from Lutra licenti , which dates from the Pleistocene of East Asia. [3]
